Foster Care and Child Welfare Week In Review – September 11, 2023
Here are some news items from last week related to foster care, adoption, and child welfare that caught our eye:
Three Central Texas judges have raised concerns over human trafficking rings operating near the secret locations of makeshift housing for abused and neglected children. At least two teenage girls recently walked off from a “children without placement” location in Bell County, Texas, and are believed to have been taken across state lines and exploited as prostitutes. When Child Protective Services (CPS) can’t find suitable placements, they often use unlicensed facilities like motels or rental houses. Some of these makeshift facilities have been compromised, increasing the risk of child exploitation. Judges are calling for improved emergency efforts in such cases.
In response to concerns raised by three Central Texas family court judges, officials from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services have acknowledged the shortage of foster care beds in the state. Child Protective Services (CPS) is currently facing criticism for housing children without placements in unlicensed settings, which have been deemed unsafe due to the presence of human trafficking rings in the vicinity. Last month, CPS had an average of 97 children without placements, primarily teenagers with severe mental health challenges and complex needs. While officials are working to improve staffing, scheduling, and support for these children, they admit there is no quick solution to the problem, focusing instead on long-term strategies such as kinship placements and stabilizing providers.
EMPOWER, a collaborative program of Kansas-based TFI Family Services, has been named as the community-based care contractor by the State of Texas for nine counties east of the Metroplex, including Hunt and Rockwall. The organization aims to provide children with attentive care and safe environments while focusing on improving the overall well-being of children in foster care and keeping them closer to home. EMPOWER has begun its Stage 1 services, developing a network of services and placing children in foster homes, with Stage 2 readiness plans set to expand services further by next March.
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